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August 04, 2014

Fresh Strawberry Scones

I’ve been thinking about the future a lot lately. It’s scary and exciting. Where will we be a year from now? I’ll hopefully be (almost) done my PhD. Will I have a job lined up? What kind of job will it be? Will we be planning a move to a different city? Or maybe buying a house in Toronto.

Four years ago when we moved here to start grad school this all seemed so far away, but the years have flown by.

How many types of scones have I made in this kitchen? How many more will I make?

At least one more. Sweet,red strawberries have a starring role in these scones. These scones make me think of a summer afternoon tea. A picnic on the warm, sun-drenched grass. Straw hats and juicy, sticky sweet fingers.

Will I still be here in a year? I don’t know. But I do know, wherever I am, I’ll still be baking scones and eating strawberries.Fresh Strawberry SconesAdapted from The Best of Fine Cooking: Breakfast and Brunch2 cups (9 oz.) all purpose flour1/3 cup sugar1 tbsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1 cup strawberries6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes2 egg yolks3/4 cup whipping or heavy cream1 egg and 1 tbsp milk for egg washHeat oven to 400F and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Hull strawberries and cut into about half inch chunks. Toss with flour mixture. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with heavy cream. Pour into flour mixture and stir until the mixture forms a shaggy dough. Try not to crush the strawberries too much. Knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Do not knead too much; you want the mixture just together.On a lightly floured cutting board, gently pat dough until it is 1 inch thick. Now there are several options. Either cut the dough directly into squares or triangles, or use a biscuit cutter and cut into 2 inch circles. If cutting out circles, gently reform the remaining dough and continue cutting out circles until all the dough is gone. If cutting directly with a knife, try to make the scones roughly the same size so that they bake evenly. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together egg and 1 tbsp milk and brush all over the tops of the scones. Bake scones in the lower third of the oven for 18-23 minutes or until golden-brown all over. Let cool on a rack.